Patty Mills to re-sign with Spurs on 4-year, $50 million deal

Free-agent guard Patty Mills has agreed to a four-year, $50 million contract to return to the San Antonio Spurs, league sources told ESPN.

San Antonio has prioritized re-signing its own players, and it held off significant interest from the Brooklyn Nets, league sources said.

Patty Mills.

As veteran point guard Tony Parker recovers from a left ruptured quadriceps tendon, Mills delivers San Antonio backcourt stability until Parker returns at full strength as expected early in the season.

The Spurs now will turn their attention to resigning center Pau Gasol and restricted free agent forward Jonathon Simmons.

Mills, 28, became one of San Antonio's highest priorities among its own free agents when Parker was hurt during the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets.

The uncertainty regarding a timetable for Parker's return combined with the inexperience of rising second-year man Dejounte Murray, who is just 20, pushed the Spurs into a situation where they wanted to keep a veteran at point guard. Mills has connected on at least 40 percent of his 3-pointers in four of his six seasons with the Spurs; he knocked down 41.3 percent of those shots during the 2016-17 season.

Still, Mills found difficulty producing during the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors, averaging 7.8 points and 3.3 assists while making just 21.7 percent of his shots from long range.

Mills is the closest friend on the current roster to veteran Manu Ginobili, who hasn't yet made a decision about whether to retire.

Mills averaged career highs in minutes (21.9) and assists (3.5) this past season, while averaging 9.5 points during the regular season. In the playoffs, Mills produced double-figures in scoring in eight of 16 outings, and he twice notched 20-point nights.

Mills was ranked No. 14 on the list of top available free agents this offseason compiled by ESPN's Kevin Pelton.